The Birdcage Is An Aquarium
by SayCheshire
Summary: The Fates—scheming old women that they are—bring Athena and Poseidon together upon the completion of the annual Winter Solstice. They are given a task and a set of books. One chapter a day, the two must read the story of the child of prophecy as they go about their lives normally but for an hour a day. This is Poseidon's journal, an entry for each chapter, an entry for each day.
1. Dec 22, 1994

_**The Birdcage Is An Aquarium**_

_Dec. 22, 1994_

I have the unexplained urge to write down my thoughts of what has happened today. I have never in my millennia-old existence attempted to write something such as this. My thoughts have always been constrained in my mind, for anywhere else they could be used against me by my brothers. I know I would not be doing this if the Fates had not assured me they—or anyone else, be they monster, demigod, Titan or God—would not be able to read this.

Athena took the assortment of books from my hands as soon the Fates gave them to me. She attempted to read the last one in the pile, but all but one of the book covers darkened and the individual pages of each book became solid blocks. She was unable to glimpse any information from any of the books that had undergone the transformation. The titles had been obscured, the covers turned dull black. Watching her fuss over the books was one of the most memorable things I have seen this millennium, and I have seen terribly entertaining things. The time Zeus screamed at his twin demigod sons for inventing the airplane comes to mind.

Ah, he should just leave Olympus to me. He would do a fine job directing Broadway, but the last time I suggested it he thought I was making fun of him. I was not, but to be fair I would have recommended he leave the Sky to me even if he had not been good with theatre. I am the better ruler.

That is not what I want to write about here, however much I know I am more qualified to preside over the Sea and the Sky.

I picked up the only book Athena had left alone, the one of the ten that had retained its original appearance. The cover was childish enough. It was of a boy—who wielded a sword a horn of all things—and stood waist-deep in my domain. He wore the customary Camp Half-Blood shirt and was looking towards Olympus. There was lightning reaching down towards the boy. The title read The Lightning Thief.

I raised an eyebrow at the title, but I did not think much of this strange situation until I looked at the spine of the book. My ichor ran cold. It could not be! It could not be! Oh, Athena would have my head on a stick for this, I remember thinking.

Thank the Gods she was not allowed to divulge any of the information we obtained in this place. The Fates had shoved us in a spacious room in Olympus. We were, however, isolated. We were not able to unlock the door until we read a chapter of the book.

We did this as soon as Athena gave up on the other books, which remained unresponsive to whatever the _Hades_ she was doing with them. She wrenched the book from my hands and I was unfortunately too stunned to prevent her from doing this. She turned the book over to look at the description but she decided to wait. "We will read this anyways."

I agreed not because I did not want to know, but because I wanted to postpone her finding out about my affair with the beautiful clear-sighted mortal. I looked at her with frequency over the last five years. She had figured out that the smell of a disgusting mortal man would be able to mask my son's already developing one. He would be strong. I knew that I would eventually have to claim him because it would become obvious he is my child. I did not want to have him resent me like so many of my children used to.

It was not that I cared that Athena knew. She was not allowed to say anything to anyone about whatever she found out in this room, but I did not want to listen to her lectures.

Athena read and I listened. She immediately took a dislike to Percy, but I chuckled at his choice of title. The first things he wrote gave me a sense of what kind of boy my son would become. Cheeky. Most did not turn out that way. For some reason, they almost always took after their mothers. I still don not know why I always go for the classy, frigid socialites. Percy's mother had been a special case. I normally disliked anyone who stood up to me, but there was _something_ about her.

Well, maybe Percy did take after Sally, but he reminds me of me as well just by listening to the way he wrote. He did not like to be constrained. Like the Sea. Truly, a child of the Sea. I have not seen one since Theseus. Not even Wilson was as outspoken as I believe Percy will turn out.

Chiron discovered him already. He has trained heroes well, but I know he cannot do much with the material he has been getting since the end of World War II. There are no children of the Big Three to provide leadership. There is no fighting over who gets to be counselor anymore. It is sad the state Camp Half-Blood is in. The last counselor challenge was little less than a decade after Wilson's death!

Athena kept criticizing every thing he did, and it was annoying because I could not simply continue reading while she satisfied herself with shouting at a book. She was really irritated because she had been unable to catch a glimpse of what the other books were about. I wondered if they were about Percy, too.

Chiron had chosen that carving because of Percy. He suspected, then, that my son is a child of my brothers or sisters. The Mist was affected Chiron, too, because if it had not, then he would already know Percy is mine. His eyes were green—the kind of green that only a child of mine could have. Not all my children inherited it, but Percy had.

When Percy manipulated the water, Athena figured it out. I do not know how long she lectured me, but I did not pay attention to her ramblings. When one is a God, one can afford to splurge time. Eventually, she calmed down, and continued reading. If before she had been displeased with his attitude, now she criticized every single thing he did. It came to a point where she was not reading, but only commented.

That was where I drew the line. I tore the book from her hands violently, and I will admit that I was much more infuriated because she was wasting my time than because I was not listening to Percy's story. Special as he may probably be, he was only one of my children. I do not remember half the names of my children if they are demigods. They all blend together.

A Fury! A Fury! Hades knew, then. I eventually stopped reading out-loud and Athena tried to take the book from me. It was to no avail. I did not let go of the book until I finished the chapter. I would not have let go of it if I had not been unable to read the next one, though. It was dark, much like the covers of the other books.

I tossed the book and Athena. She read in silence after glaring at me. I could not help but worry about Percy, but I was proud, of course. He had killed a Fury as his first monster. No Hero had done that this century. The Fury had been looking for something. What could Hades want from my child? It was not because he was _my_ son. The Fury would have killed him and ended him right then.

He wields Anaklusmos. I will make sure Chiron gives it to him permanently after I claim him. It was the sword of Hercules, and only a Hero can use it. My only demigod child should have the honor of having it. It belonged to me, technically. I had only let Hercules use it. I always like to hold that over Zeus' head. He hates it when I bring that up.

When Athena finished reading, she set the book down on the table besides the pile of darkened ones. "It will not let us read farther."

"I know, Athena." All of a sudden, there came a click from the door. "Did it…?"

She stood up. "Open up? I believe so. Goodbye, Poseidon." She strode out of the room and left me alone with the books. I looked at them mournfully. I wanted to know what happened next. I wanted to know if my child was the child of the prophecy. Yes, that would mean Percy would probably die, but the mortal lifespan was short. By being the child of prophecy he would be able to reach Elysium.

I do not know if Percy will die, and I do not want him to. If it is avoidable, I would wish he lived.

_**A/N:**_ I got fed up with al the read-the-books fics out there. I'm not sure if I'll continue this. It's something I haven't seen before, but by the end of the entry I lost interest. You can tell, right?


	2. Dec 23, 1994

_**The Birdcage Is An Aquarium**_

_Dec 23, 1994_

The next day, and by this I mean to say today, I found myself in the room once again. I did not mean for this to happen, but somehow, I came upon the inconspicuous building near one of the temples of Aphrodite. I entered as if I was in a trance. When I did, I heard Athena's alarmed voice, "No, wait! Don't close the do—You ruin everything, you oversized octopus." Athena screamed in displeasure, but I was unfazed by her reaction. It was not uncommon.

I walked over to one of the leather couches and laid down on it. "Have you read the chapter already?" Athena's irritation I assumed came from the fact that she had been lured into the room and had been unable to leave until we both read the chapter. And if we had both made our ways here, then we were not going to worm our way out of the scheme the Fates had in mind.

"No, Poseidon." She said as if she was talking to a small child. I find this specially insulting because I am older than her _father_. I did not mention this because I knew what she would say to me back. I did not want her to laugh in my face because my younger brother ruled the Gods instead of me. If only Zeus understood that his real calling was the theatre. Alas, my brother is an idiot. He thinks he is better than I. "I cannot read unless we are both in this place!"

"Then read," I resisted the urge to insult her by using her sacred animal.

Athena complied and stopped huffing. She did not bemoan Percy's lack of intelligence—I do not agree with her statements—for which I was grateful. My child is not an idiot. I was impressed when I learned that he was able to see through the Mist. Oh, but he is a skeptic. He would have figured things out much quicker if only he believed in the fantastical. He is going to have a rude awakening.

Oh, the Satyr is an idiot! So is Chiron! They were overheard by a twelve-year-old with not stealth training. Granted, he is my child, but that only makes him less likely to succeed in eavesdropping on other. I do not like to deceive others. If I want a fight, I will not fight with words.

Athena took great pleasure in laying out all the possibilities of what could be happening. The weather suggested that either Zeus or I were angry. I did not mention to Athena that I thought we were both angry. Chiron is a fool if he thinks that he will be able to keep Percy away from events that I am sure involve him. As it is, I believe a war of the Gods is coming. Unlike the last one, though, I do not think it will be as bloodless. A three-way war between Hades, Zeus and I would be catastrophic.

I am surprised by how bitter Percy appears to be about his dyslexia and ADHD. I hope that when he gets to camp he will be able to understand why that is such a gift. The strongest demigods have the worst cases of dyslexia and ADHD because the Greek in them is strongest. The ichor hidden in their blood was thicker. Children were not this sensitive forty years ago! Parenthood is tiring.

I think it is time I talk about the topic I have been avoiding for all this time: The Fates. I did not want my son to see the Fates! I have never liked being in their presence; it always means something terrible is going to happen. They never give Apollo a prophecy foretelling something good for Olympus. No! They always give the Council cryptic rhymes that make no sense.

If the Fates appeared to Percy, then there is no doubt. He is the child of the prophecy. I do not know if I should mourn or rejoice. Percy is my first demigod child in more than a decade, but my sons have remained in the shadow of Zeus'. Percy will be as famous as Heracles—at least among those who knew the Gods are real—if he turns out to be the prophecy child. He probably is; even Athena thinks so. I equate that with him being the child of prophecy in all but name.

Athena, loath as I am to admit it, has been wrong very few times.

The Fates cut a string. Is it Percy's? I hope it is not, but I know how unlikely it is for it to not be Percy's. Who else's would it be? _The hero's soul cursed blade shall reap._ Perhaps I should not order Chiron to give Percy Anaklusmos after I claim him. I do not like the idea of Percy possibly committing suicide. Or someone else using the sword against my son.

I have to give Percy the credit he is due. Not many demigods would get into this much trouble before they even knew they were demigods. No child of mine had caused as much trouble as Percy apparently will. It was understandable, however. He was not supposed to be alive.

Athena is re-reading the chapter right now. I will be going back to my palace now. I should not be in Olympus. I wonder if Zeus will mind my surprise appearance. I know my brother will grow suspicious of my coming to Olympus with frequency—today had been my proof that this, reading Percy's life once he learns of being a demigod—was important.

Maybe he will think that Athena and I are planning to overthrown him, which I would not mind. I know I would be the better King. Maybe he will think that Athena and I are involved. I hope he dismisses the last though. I would never, ever, ever touch such a frigid stick as Athena. I like my women to be slightly arrogant, but I do not want women who think they can lecture me whenever they please. They cannot.

Athena is going too far. Extremes are not healthy, are they?

Oh, but the string! Is it Percy's? It has to be Percy's! If before I doubted his death, I do not anymore. My poor child. I know that even if he does succeed, I will never see him again after he comes of age. Hades hates me far too much to let me visit him in Elysium (because he will get Elysium) and Zeus is far too arrogant to accept any demigod but his sons becoming a God. Dionysus is far too dumb to be a God, but as an Olympian he is a shame to us all!


End file.
